Dehorning chisel



A. M. KUHL DEHORNING CHISEL Original Filed May 18, 1942 Patented Jan. 4, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEHORNING CHISEL Alphons M. Kuhl, Omaha, Nebr.

12 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful irnprovements in dehorning chisels for use in dehorning cattle and is a substitute for Serial No. 443,428 filed May 18, 1942.

An object of my invention is to provide a dehorning chisel or instrument whereby the dev horning operation of young cattle, such as calves,

goats and sheep, will be rendered more humane by the rapidity of the operation, thereby reduc ing attendant pain to the minimum and which dehorning operation by such improved chisel will permit the healing of the wound with a minimized tendency of infection or other undesirable complications which often result from sawing or shearing of horns of cattle of advanced age.

My improved dehorning instrument is adapted to sever the entire protruding knob-like cartilaginous horn structure of young cattle with a quick forcibly applied stroke of a slidable hammer member of the instrument against the chisel member which is held against the horn at the line of its junction with the scalp.

It is an object of my invention to provide a dehorning chisel which shall be simple in construction, comparatively low in cost of manufacture, and very simple and effective in use.

Another object of my invention is found in the provision of a dehorning instrument having a chisel of arcuate cross-section provided with side shoes preferably formed integrally with the chisel and extending outwardly from the sides of the chisel in a plane slightly above the bottom of the cutting edge of the chisel whereby such shoes through their slidable support on the scalp act as a safety guard to limit the depth of the cut in the event the operator causes the chisel to be unwarrantedly depressed too deeply into the top of the scalp during the dehorning operation.

A further object of my invention resides in the novel construction of the chisel which includes its formation, by die-stamping operation, from a sheet of metal plate into an arcuate shape with a plurality of cutting teeth formed in the medial portion of the cutting edge and with the upper side portions extending beyond the medial teeth in the form of pointed guides for guiding the movement of the chisel with the upper portion of the horn between such pointed guides.

Still another feature of my invention resides in slightly flattening the central portion of the toothed cutting medial portion and providing a sharpened cutting edge to extend the full length of the irregular peripheral end of the chisel.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the novel combination, construction and arrangement of the members and parts shown in preferred embodiment in the attached drawing, described in the following specication, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, wherein like reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts,

Fig. 1 is an illustration showing the operative position of a dehorning instrument embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a dehorning chisel or dehorning instrument, with part in section, embodying my invention;

Fig, 3 is a side View of the instrument shown in Fig. 2 with the slidable hammer member moved into operative position;

Fig. 4 is a side view similar to that shown in Fig. 3 but showing the hammer member extended ready for movement into the horn-severing operation and with parts in longitudinal section to shown construction details;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the chisel taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Figs. 7 and are side views of a slightly modified form of the hammer part of my improved instrument, Fig. 7 showing the hammer moved into operative position and Fig. 8 showing the hammer moved outwardly into position ready for striking movement;

Fig. 9 illustrates a modified chisel having a flattened `arcuate cross-section; and

Fig. l0 is a cross-section similar to that shown in Fig. 6 but taken on line Ill- I0 of Fig. 9 and showing a modified form of safety shoe construction. l

The dehorning instrument, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, consists 0f an intermediate tubular handle member I0 preferably made from a steel tube. A hammer member II is slidably mounted over the outer end of the tubular handle member I0. The hammer member II is formed from a solid round bar with a bored chamber I2 within the inner end to slidably receive therein the outer end of the tubular handle member I0. The hammer member II is preferably provided with a knurled-faced outer sleeve I3 as a grip for the operators hand.

To prevent detachment of the hammer member II from the handle member I0, the handle member lil is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed elongated slots I4 for the guide pin I5 which extends through the sleeved end of the hammer member il and through the elongated slots it,

The chisel le is preferably formed, as by cliestamping, from a single sheet of metal plate. The inner or rear end il of the chisel is of circular sleeve form to tightly embrace the outer end portion of the handle member l! and the chisel Iii is secured to the handle member id in any suitable manner as by the rivet-headed pin I8 which extends transversely through the telescoped portions ci the handle and chisel.

The operative end I9 of the chisel IS is substantially ci semi-circular cross-section and the medial cutting portion is provided with a plurality of cutting teeth 2t. The side portions of the operative end i9 eXt/endupwardly and forwardly and terminate beyond the medial toothed cutting portion in ends 2i which are preferably pointed as shown in the drawing.

I also prefer to provide the medial cutting portion With a centrally disposed flattened V-shaped portion 22.

The cutting end or the chisel is provided with a sharpened edge 23 extending through the entire peripheral edge of the outer end of the chisel.

As above stated, the chisel may be provided with a pair of side safety shoes E4 formed integrally with the chisel and in bent formation to extend downwardly from the upper portions of the chisel plate. sive, the shoes 2d are formed by bending integral side portions 25 of the chisel plate downwardly over the cuter side of the arcuate chisel portion and then bending the outer side portions laterally to form the pair of horizontally aligned shoes 2A. The frontl end portions 26. of the shoes 24 are preferably curved upwardly to facilitate their sliding movement over the scalp in. the event the operator unwarrantedly depressed. the chisel too deeply into the top of. the scalp. The bottom faces 32 oi the shoes 223 arein actual practice only about one-eighthr to three-sixteenths of an inch above the bottom face ofr the chisel.

The chisel may be formed of a flattenedarcuate cross-section as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 and the safety shoes may be made in the nform of laterally extended horizontally aligned bent flanges 2l integral with the upper edges oi the sides of the shoes.

Figs. 'l and 8 illustrate a modified form ofvmy invention wherein` the hammer member 28 consists of a solid round bar 2S having an enlarged head 30 adapted to forciblyl engage with the outer endof the. handle IEB; the round shank 29 being slidably mounted in this type Within the tubular handle i@ and secured against detachment therefrom by the cross pin i slidable Within the elongated slots iii.

The instrument is shown in operative position in Fig. 1 with the chisel I5 applied against the side of one of the small horns 3l. With the handle Ymember grasped in one hand and the hammer member Ii grasped in the other hand, the hammer member il is quickly forcibly brought into impact engagement with the end of the handle member lil whereupon the chisel It will sever the horn 3l.

It is obvious that various slight changes and modications may readily be made in the details of construction by those skilled in the art upon perusal of the above specication and attached drawing Without departing from the spirit of my invention dened in the appended* claims.

I claim:

As shown in Figs. 1 t0 6 inclu- 1. A dehorning instrument of the class described comprising an elongated handle, an elon-I gated weighted hammer member in telescoped arrangement with one end of said elongated handle, means preventing detachment of said hammer member from said elongated handle but permitting movement of said hammer member relatively to said elongated handle, a chisel on the other end of said elongated handle, said chisel being of arcuate cross-section and having a sharpened toothed medial portion.

2. A dehorning instrument of the class described comprising an elongated handle, an elongated Weighted hammer member in telescoped arrangement with one end of said elongated handie, said. hammer member being movable rela- Vtively to said elongated handle, a chisel on the other end of said elongated handle, said chisel being of arcuate cross-section and having a sharpened toothed medial portion.

3. A dehorning instrument of the class described comprising an elongated tubular handle, an elongated hammer member of a solid section` of metal having a tubular chamber in onev end thereof for sliding movement therein of one end of said handle, said tubular handle having av pair of diametrically aligned elongated slots in its Wall, a pin extending transversely through said hammer member and said. slots preventing displacement of said hammer member from said handle but .permitting movement of said hammer member relatively to said handle, and a chisel of' arcuate cross-section mounted on the other endof said handle and having a sharpened medial cutting edge provided with. a plurality of sharpened teeth.

4. A dehorning instrument as defined in claim 3 and including said chisel composed of separate die-stamped sheet metal including a formed tubular end connected to one end of said tubular handle, and means for securing the tubular end of said chisel to the handle.

5. A dehorning instrument of the class described comprising an elongated tubular handle, an elongated hammer member of a solid section of metal slidably mounted in onev end ofsaid tubular handle, saidy tubular handle having a pair of transversely aligned elongated slots, a pin extending transversely through said hammer member into said slots for preventingV displacement of said hammer memberl from said handle but permitting movement of` saidhammer member.-

relatively to saidY handle, said hammer member. havingV a portion adapted `for engagement with said handle, andi a chisel of arcuate cross-section mounted on the other. endA of. said handle and.

having a. sharpened cutting edge :provided: Witha plurality of teeth.

6. A dehorning instrument, as dened'inclaim 5 andincluding said chisel composed of separate; die-stamped sheet metal including4 a formed.

tubular Yend connected to one end of said tubular handle, and meansk for securing; the tubular. endl of said chiselto the handle.

7. A dehorning instrumentas definedinelaim, 5 and including saidchiselcomposed of separate dieestamped sheetmetalincluding a formed tubular end embracing one endoi saidtubularhan-4 dle, and portionsformed integrallywith. the upper edge portions of` the opposite sides. of: the: arcuate portion of said chiselbent 4to constituteA a pair. of laterally aligned flanges disposedfslightly above the bottom of the toothed` cutting edge to limit the depth-of thacut.

8. A. dehorning instrument asdened .in claim.

3 and including said chisel composed of separate die-stamped sheet metal including a formed tubular end connected to one end of said handle, and portions formed integrally with the upper edge portions of the opposite sides of the arcuate portion of said chisel bent to constitute a pair of transversely aligned longitudinal flanges disposed slightly above the bottom of the toothed cutting edge to limit the depth of the cut.

9. A dehorning instrument comprising a handle and a chisel on one end of said handle, said chisel having a substantially semi-circular body provided with a sharpened cutting edge, the medial portion of said cutting edge having a, plurality of teeth.

10. A dehorning instrument comprising a handle and a chisel on one end of said handle, said chisel being formed from a metallic plate having one end secured to said handle and the free end thereof being of arcuate cross-section provided with a sharpened cutting edge, the medial portion of said cutting edge having a plurality of teeth and the side portions of said cutting edge extending upwardly and forwardly and terminating in pointed end portions disposed forwardly of said medial toothed portion.

1l. A dehorning instrument comprising a handle and a chisel on one end of said handle, said chisel being formed from a metallic plate having one end secured to said handle and the free end thereof being of arcuate cross-section provided with a sharpened cutting edge, the medial portion of said cutting edge having a plurality of teeth and the side portions of said cutting edge extending upwardly and forwardly and terminating in portions disposed forwardly of said medial toothed portion, and portions formed integrally with the upper edge portions of the opposite sides of said arcuate free-end bent downwardly and outwardly to constitute a pair of transversely aligned longitudinal flanges disposed slightly above the bottom c-f the medial portion of the cutting edge to limit the depth of the cut.

12. A dehorning instrument comprising a handle and a chisel on one end of said handle, said chisel being fonmed from a metallic plate having one end secured to said handle and the free end thereof being of arcuate cross-section provided with a sharpened cutting edge, the medial pore tion of said cutting edge having a plurality of teeth and the side portions of said cutting edge extending upwardly and forwardly and terminating in portions disposed forwardly of said medial toothed portion, portions formed integrally with the upper edge portions of the opposite sides of said arcuate freeeend bent downwardly and outwardly to constitute a pair of transversely aligned longitudinal flanges disposed slightly above the bottom of the medial portion of the cutting edge to limit the depth ofthe cut, and said medial toothed portion having an inwardly converging flattened portion.

ALPHONS M. KUHL. 

